ABSTRACT
The Turkish labour force has been experiencing major changes since the 1950s. Although there is no census data that portrays the percentage of Turkish women managers in the private sector, there are some international reports which provide country comparisons regarding the situation of women in leadership positions. Studies on the characteristics of the few women who were able to move up to senior managerial positions show that senior women managers come from a privileged background. Although these programmes and initiatives have helped to create a positive momentum for women entrepreneurs in Turkey, there have not been integrative frameworks, policies and coordination across these programmes to support and empower women entrepreneurs in a sustainable and systematic manner. The cornerstones of emancipation of women in the Turkish Republic were widely distributed through education, legislative and administrative reforms, political rights, public visibility and professionalism.
